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[Q] why the obsession with rich minerals?

Forum Index > SC2 General
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1 2 Next All
roemy
Profile Joined April 2010
Germany432 Posts
April 12 2010 09:36 GMT
#1
in almost every stream, commentators/players make it sound like they're omfgbbqwtf but for some reason, i am not impressed:

normal expos consist of 8 mineral patches. workers bring in 5 mins per run
-> 40 minerals per "cycle" or w/e you want to call it

"gold" expos consist of 6 patches. workers bring in 7 per run
-> 42 minerals per "cycle"

so unless you're a MULE-loving terran, i don't really see the huge benefit.
(yes, terrans are allowed to /cheer when they take a gold expo )

i do understand how it needs less workers to be saturated etc, but do we really care? its not like we precisely count when we slide them over in the heat of battle.

so what am i not seeing here?
rock is fine.. paper could need a buff, but scissors have to be nerfed
Funchucks
Profile Joined June 2007
Canada2113 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-04-12 09:46:25
April 12 2010 09:39 GMT
#2
On April 12 2010 18:36 roemy wrote:
so what am i not seeing here?

The fact that MULEs harvest minerals at exactly the same rate from high-yield patches as from regular ones.

edit: this was supposed to be a question. I heard it somewhere. No idea if it's true. This came out all wrong.
I serve my houseguests slices of butter.
PhiliBiRD
Profile Joined November 2009
United States2643 Posts
April 12 2010 09:42 GMT
#3
yea, its def a terran beneficial thing.
summerloud
Profile Joined March 2010
Austria1201 Posts
April 12 2010 09:43 GMT
#4
commentators in streams are omfgwtfbbq for all kinds of shit that dont matter

but yeah, gold seems kinda pointless
QuothTheRaven
Profile Joined December 2008
United States5524 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-04-12 10:15:27
April 12 2010 09:44 GMT
#5
On April 12 2010 18:39 Funchucks wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 12 2010 18:36 roemy wrote:
so what am i not seeing here?

The fact that MULEs harvest minerals at exactly the same rate from high-yield patches as from regular ones.


I'm guessing you either don't have beta or haven't tested it yourself and are just making an unsubstantiated assumption.

The fact is that MULEs on normal minerals mine 30 minerals per trip, while MULEs on gold minerals mine 42 minerals per trip.

edit: Sorry Funchucks, didn't realize you were trying to ask a question. Thought you were just another kid without beta coming in and spreading misinformation.


On topic: As an additional (negative) consideration, gold mineral expansion also mine out faster, so they give you approximately the same income/minute, but for less time (since there are six patches of 1500 that get mined 7 per trip instead of eight patches of 1500 that get mined 5 per trip).

I'm personally still a big fan of gold expansions, but it is true that in the later stages of the game (as a 4th or 5th expansion, for example), its benefits are negligible over a normal expansion and in fact it may even be worse due to often being more difficult to defend and also mining out faster.
. . . nevermore
Puosu
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
7019 Posts
April 12 2010 09:45 GMT
#6
On April 12 2010 18:44 QuothTheRaven wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 12 2010 18:39 Funchucks wrote:
On April 12 2010 18:36 roemy wrote:
so what am i not seeing here?

The fact that MULEs harvest minerals at exactly the same rate from high-yield patches as from regular ones.


I'm guessing you either don't have beta or haven't tested it yourself and are just making an unsubstantiated assumption.


The fact is that MULEs on normal minerals mine 30 minerals per trip, while MULEs on gold minerals mine 42 minerals per trip.

What he means is that while SCVs aren't as effective after you have quite a few of them becuase there's only 6 patches MULE's keep their efficiency because they can harvest from a mineral that is already being mined by another person.
roemy
Profile Joined April 2010
Germany432 Posts
April 12 2010 09:47 GMT
#7
/me looks up the word "unless".... i might have used that incorrectly....
rock is fine.. paper could need a buff, but scissors have to be nerfed
zomgzergrush
Profile Joined August 2008
United States923 Posts
April 12 2010 09:47 GMT
#8
They give terrible, terrible income for terrans because of the mules. Everyone else is kinda meh. It does translate to quite a bit, especially earlier stages of the game where worker count is a bit more expensive to maintain, specially for Z.
Bronze skipping straight to Diamond in 40 games retail release. Bnet 2.0 ladder really takes it's sweet time to think about that league placement.
s031720
Profile Joined December 2009
Sweden383 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-04-12 12:30:12
April 12 2010 09:49 GMT
#9
good catch. Usually when you see players expand and one expands to a high yield, one thinks, wow, hes really gonna get ahead. But he usually dosent, and that is why.

The main point of a high yield is that you get more back with less investment (since you need less workers and get more for each in return). Once both expansions have stabilized in a saturated state, the diffrence is nonessential, but it takes longer to get there with an ordinary expo. It really could be translated into a one time economic boost for the high yield player rather than a continues advantage.

The conclusion must be; take a high yield whenever you can when its avaiable, especially early on, but dont go to much out of your way to do it because you will get behind.

Edit;

Just summing up what people are saying

High yield cons;
Fewer patches (hampers income compared to ordinary patches)
Harder to defend
Harder to get in the first place
Mines out quicker
Fully saturated only gives 2 more than a fully saturated ordinary expo

High yield pros;
You get more per worker
Fewer patches (requires fewer workers to saturate)

Conclussions;
Good for Terran. (due to mules)
Becomes negligble mid/late game when you have more expos
More like a one time boon than a long time advantage
Can be a good way to increase income when you near the 200/200 cap, since you need fewer workers and thus can have a bigger army for the same income.
Just another noob
cartoon]x
Profile Joined March 2010
United States606 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-04-12 10:01:21
April 12 2010 09:54 GMT
#10
it's about the quicker saturation and lower number of workers required along with faster immediate returns. Up until full saturation it's a significant boost. I think this temporary boost creates a window for a timing push if your opponent is counter expanding. It also makes it alot easier to get the adequate army size to hold the expo if you can get past the short deficit of your initial investment; that deficit is much more quickly returned to you. Later as bases become saturated raw incomes do even out, but the economy in this game is very exponential, and advantages quickly start compounding.
It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce.
Vynakros
Profile Joined March 2010
Slovenia63 Posts
April 12 2010 09:58 GMT
#11
Besides, the high yield mineral patches are often times harder to defend, more open, plus on some maps, you have to clear the rocks blocking the expansion. One has to think carefully when this is viable.
Olorin.SVK
Profile Joined December 2008
Slovakia136 Posts
April 12 2010 10:40 GMT
#12
I think u guys take it from wrong end. There is no way to tell how many mineral patches will be at high yeld expo in the real game. Its all about map design and balancing. If there were 8 patches in high yeld, it would be completely different.
DeCoup
Profile Joined September 2006
Australia1933 Posts
April 12 2010 12:13 GMT
#13
On April 12 2010 19:40 Olorin.SVK wrote:
I think u guys take it from wrong end. There is no way to tell how many mineral patches will be at high yeld expo in the real game. Its all about map design and balancing. If there were 8 patches in high yeld, it would be completely different.

True, unless there is 50 patches at blue expansions...
"Poor guy. I really did not deserve that win. So this is what it's like to play Protoss..." - IdrA
roemy
Profile Joined April 2010
Germany432 Posts
April 12 2010 16:45 GMT
#14
well i suppose we all know what the "fastest map ever" will look like
*duck*
rock is fine.. paper could need a buff, but scissors have to be nerfed
Count9
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
China10928 Posts
April 12 2010 16:48 GMT
#15
Always thought it was for terran, especially the float initial cc thing xD
zealing
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Canada806 Posts
April 12 2010 16:49 GMT
#16
just cause its got less patches doesn't mean its still not REALLY good to get. you get 20-30 workers on any normal base and yet 10-15 workers on them high yield minerals beat that.
Think you got lag? It took Jesus 3 days to respawn.
-orb-
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
United States5770 Posts
April 12 2010 16:50 GMT
#17
As everyone has said it's amazing for terran, but also for zerg and protoss simply because usually when you are taking your third you aren't going to have enough probes to fully saturate all three bases and thus to take a base that will get you more income for the number of probes you have is very beneficial.
'life of lively to live to life of full life thx to shield battery'
how sad that sc2 has no shield battery :(
HubertFelix
Profile Joined April 2010
France631 Posts
April 12 2010 16:53 GMT
#18
It's harder for terran to take a base in the middle of the map so it's not a problem i think.
Haemonculus
Profile Blog Joined November 2004
United States6980 Posts
April 12 2010 16:56 GMT
#19
On April 12 2010 19:40 Olorin.SVK wrote:
I think u guys take it from wrong end. There is no way to tell how many mineral patches will be at high yeld expo in the real game. Its all about map design and balancing. If there were 8 patches in high yeld, it would be completely different.


Yah. I think it will be very interesting when we start seeing more variety in maps. Maps with gold mineral-only expos, (no gas), vs expos with gas and mins, etc.

Wait until the map making scene gets their hands on the galaxy editor!

Cause blizzard is well... special... at making maps.
I admire your commitment to being *very* oily
mOnion
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
United States5657 Posts
April 12 2010 16:58 GMT
#20
On April 13 2010 01:53 HubertFelix wrote:
It's harder for terran to take a base in the middle of the map so it's not a problem i think.


unless you're talking about a map OTHER than metalopolis.
☆★☆ 7486!!! Join the Ban mOnion Anti-Trolling Initiative! - Caller | "on a scale of machine to 10, how bad is that Zerg?" - LZgamer | you are the new tl.net bonjwa monion, congrats - Rekrul | "Cheeseburgers dynamite lilacs" - Chill
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